Paper guiding and evaporation control in moist reproduction machines



May 9, 1967 5. J. KLEM, JR 3,313,222

PAPER GUIDING AND EVAPORATION CGNTROL IN MOIST REPRODUCTION MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1964 FIGFI INVENTOR. STANLEY J. KLEMJR ATTORNEYS May 9, 1967 5. J. KLEM, JR 3,

PAPER GUIDING AND EVAPORATION CONTROL IN MOIST REPRODUCTION MACHINES Filed June 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2

INVENTOR.

STANLEY J. KLEM JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent (3 3 318,222 PAPER GUIDING ANI EVAPORATION CONTROL IN MOIST REPRODUCTION MACHINES Stanley J. Klem, Jr., Binghamton, N.Y., assignor to General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N.Y., a

corporation of Delaware Filed June 8, 1964, Ser. No. 373,343 3 Claims. (Cl. 9594) This invention relates to improvements in moist reproduction machines and, particularly to the paper guiding means and evaporation control of the developing liquid.

When moistened sensitized material must be conveyed and then guided from one portion of a machine, such as a moist reproduction machine, to another by means of stationary sheets, fingers, or the like, objectionable streaks or markings are commonly made by these mechanical guiding means on the surface of the sheet material being conveyed. This objectionable streaking may be caused by accumulations of residue on the surface of the guide plates or on the edges of the guide fingers. As the sheet material is guided, it also rubs on the surface of the plates or on the edges of the fingers and the accumulated residue is then deposited on the surface of the sheet material causing such marking or streaking.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive means to guide sheet material through a predetermined path without unnecessary mechanical handling and thereby substantially eliminate undesirable streaks or other markings.

In most moist reproduction machines, a developing solution is held in relatively close proximity to the drying chambers and, due to this arrangement, the evaporation rate of the developing solution is relatively rapid. However, to widely separate the developer solution and the drying chamber would tend to make an unreasonably large machine. The rapid evaporation of the developer solution with the resultant accumulation of salt residue on the various components of the machine causes accelerated deterioration and eventually necessitates repairs or replacement. Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to control and diminish the evaporation of the liquid developer in close proximity to the heating or drying chamber.

Other objects and features will be apparent from the following description of the invention, pointed out in particularity in the appended claims and taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial view, in perspective, of the developing and drying portions of a moist diazo reproduction machine; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic, sectional view of the components shown in FIG. 1 for the purpose of illustrating the operation of this invention.

In general, this invention is directed to such moist reproduction machines in which sheet material is fed and pneumatically guided from a wet developer moistener to a heated drying chamber. Streaking of the sheet material is prevented while at the same time controlling evaporation of the developer. A sensitized sheet is fed through the moistener of the developer portion of the machine and is fed upwardly toward the paper guiding and evaporation control means which forces air transverse to the path of the paper causing the paper to bend over and fall by the action of the air pressure and, due to gravity, onto a pair of belts which carry the sensitized material to an air drier section. Cool air is used for paper guiding and is directed to form an air curtain between the hot drier section and the moist developer section of the machine, thereby controlling and diminishing the rate of evaporation of the developer.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, only such portion of a moist reproduction machine has been shown which is pertinent to the invention. This machine includes a moist developer section 10 and an air drier section 12. Although these sections are adjacent one another, the evaporation therebetween is controlled and the paper is guided without additional mechanical means by a paper guiding and evaporation control means 14 which, in the environment and arrangement shown, is the general subject of this invention.

In the developer section 10, there are trays 16 and 17 for containing the liquid developer D as is so well known in the art. A pair of applicator rolls 18 and 19 dip into the developer in the trays and transfer the liquid to a pair of intermediate rolls 20 and 21 which, in turn, contact the surface of the sensitized sheet S and, in feeding this, apply also the developer solution to the sensitized material. Another pair of feed rolls 22 and 23 are positioned above rolls 20 and 21 to control the amount of developer solution and further feed the sensitized sheet upward in a predetermined direction.

Adjacent the developer section 10 is an air drier section 12 including heating elements 13 for accomplishing the heating of the air used for drying of the moistened sheet S. The air drier section includes a belt 24 trained around a roll 25 and another belt 26 trained around a roll 27. The sensitized sheet S is adapted to be fed between belts 24 and 26 as shown in the drawing.

The paper guiding and evaporation control means 14 includes an elongated chamber 30 having a plurality of perforations 32 adjacent the lower edge thereof and the entire assembly is rotatable about at axis 33. A plurality of guides 34 may be affixed to the chamber 30 and these guides include a lip 36.

The operation of the device will now be described. The sensitized material S is fed upward by rolls 20 and 21 as well as by rolls 22 and 23 and the required moist developer solution is applied thereto. As the sensitized material sheet S is fed upward, cool pressurized air with in chamber 30 is blown out through the perforations 32 along the length of the chamber to form an air curtain and deflect the sheet S into the area between the nip of the belts 24 and 26 where it may be conveyed to the drier section. The effectiveness of the arrangement may be increased as the length of the material between the rollers 22 and 23 and the belts 24 and 26 increases. The guides 34 assist the device in directing the path of the sheet S when unusually rigid material is processed. These guides also incorporate a print return feature provided by rotating the tip 36 into the path of the sheet S so as to return the sheet material to the operator before further processing. This is accomplished by rotating the entire assembly about axis 33. 4

Since most moist reproduction machines are equipped with hot air driers, such as drier 14, these driers cause evaporation of the developer solution in trays 16 and 17, However, the air blown from chamber 30 is cool air and is directed in such a path that the curtain of cool air used to guide the sheet S acts as a thermal barrier between the developer section 10 and the drier section 12. That is, the cool air from the chamber 30 issuing through perforations 33 prevents heated air from the drier section 12 from reaching the developer section 10 and thereby prevents hot air from the heater section from causing excessive evaporation of the moist developer solution.

What is claimed is:

1. A paper guiding and liquid developer evaporation control arrangement for guiding moist paper without streaking the same and for controlling the rate of evap oration of a developer solution in a moist reproduction machine of the type having a developer section with liquid developer solution stored in a solution-carrying tank positioned adjacent a drying section having a hot air drying means, said paper guiding and evaporation control arrangement comprising:

feeding means for moistening and feeding a sheet mate rial from said developer section in a generally upward direction, v transport means for transporting the so-moistened sheet material through said dryer section, said transport means being physically spaced apart from said feeding means whereby the sheet material fed by said feeding means is not directed toward said transport means, manifold means positioned in the space between said feeding means and said transport means and containing a source of cool air under pressure, said manifold means having a plurality of exit openings for continuously directing a curtain of cool air between said developer section and said dryer section and in a direction transverse to the path of the moistened sheet material whereby the rate of evaporation of said developer solution and the directing of the sheet material toward said transport means are simultaneously controlled by said curtain of cool air. ZyApparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said manifold means comprises:

an elongated chamber connected to a source of pressurized coolair and having said exit openings along the length of said chamber, rigid guides attached to the perimeter of said chamber, and 9 means for mounting said, chamber for rotation about a longitudinal axis whereby the sheet material may be returned to an operator after leaving said devel I oper section. 3.'-Paper guiding apparatus for guiding a sheet materialleaving a developer section of a moist reproduction machine comprising:

feeding means for feeding said sheet material from said developer section in a pre-determined path,

transport means for transporting said sheet material through a drier section to an operator, said transport means being physically spaced from said feeding means, and

an elongated chamber mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis in the space between said feeding means and said transport means and having a plurality of openings along the length of said chamber for permitting a continuous source of compressed cool air contained within said chamber to form an air curtain between said feeding means and said transport means thereby aiding in the reduction of the rate of developer evaporation, the compressed cool air flowing on said sheet material leaving said feeding means when said chamber is in a first position whereby said sheet material is directed to said transport means, said elongatedchamber having a plurality of rigid guides attached to its perimeter which guide said sheet material when said chamber is rotated to a second position whereby said sheet material is returned to the operator directly after leaving said feeding means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,595,478 8/1926 Minton 34--16 1,633,960 6/1927 Staege 341'56 1,779,611 10/1930 Merrill 341 56 2,158,817 5/1939 Doetzel 9595 2,981,171 4/1 96 1 Hruby 95-94 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

C. B. PRICE, Examiner.

I. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PAPER GUIDING AND LIQUID DEVELOPER EVAPORATION CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR GUIDING MOSIT PAPER WITHOUT STREAKING THE SAME AND FOR CONTROLLING THE RATE OF EVAPORATION OF A DEVELOPER SOLUTION IN A MOIST REPRODUCTION MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A DEVELOPER SECTION WITH LIQUID DEVELOPER SOLUTION STORED IN A SOLUTON-CARRYING TANK POSITIONED ADJACENT A DRYING SECTION HAVING A HOT AIR DRYING MEANS, SAID PAPER GUIDING AND EVAPORATION CONTROL ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: FEEDING MEANS FOR MOISTENING AND FEEDING A SHEET MATERIAL FROM SAID DEVELOPER SECTION IN A GENERALLY UPWARD DIRECTION, TRANSPORT MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING THE SO-MOISTENED SHEET MATERIAL THROUGH SAID DRYER SECTION, SAID TRANSPORT MEANS BEING PHYSICALLY SPACED APART FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS WHEREBY THE SHEET MATERIAL FED BY SAID FEEDING MEANS IS NOT DIRECTED TOWARD SAID TRANSPORT MEANS, MANIFOLD MEANS POSITIONED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FEEDING MEANS AND SAID TRANSPORT MEANS AND CONTAINING A SOURCE OF COOL AIR UNDER PRESSURE, SAID MANIFOLD MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF EXIT OPENINGS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING A CURTAIN OF COOL AIR BETWEEN SAID DEVELOPER SECTION AND SAID DRYER SECTION AND IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE PATH OF THE MOISTENED SHEET MATERIAL WHEREBY THE RATE OF EVAPORATION OF SAID DEVELOPER SOLUTION AND THE DIRECTING OF THE SHEET MATERIAL TOWARD SAID TRANSPORT MEANS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTROLLED BY SAID CURTAIN OF COOL AIR. 